ERC FUNDED PROJECTS

Gas-liquid-solid (G/L/S) multiphasic reactors are extensively used in the chemical industry for catalytic processes. However, conventional reactors, such as packed beds and slurry reactors, typically suffer from resilient mass/heat transfer limitations due to their low specific interface areas, long mixing times, and a reduced accessibility of the gas reactants to the catalyst surface. To overcome these limitations, continuous flow microreactors and catalytic membrane reactors have been considered for increasing the G/L interface area, but these systems require complex equipment and still do not guarantee an efficient L/S contact at the catalyst surface. For a major improvement on current systems in terms of cost efficiency and energy savings, G/L/S reactors operating at the nanoscale are required. The aim of this ERC project is to design robust particle-stabilized G/L dispersions (i.e. micro/nano-bubbles and liquid marbles) as highly efficient G/L/S nanoreactors for conducting catalytic reactions at mild conditions. We will (i) prepare NPs with defined sizes, shapes, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB), including catalytic functions; (ii) generate particle-stabilized bubbles and liquid marbles affording highly active and selective reactions at the G/L/S interface with NP recycling after each catalytic cycle using external stimuli; examine the interplay between the NP assembly at the G/L interface and the catalytic properties along the reaction by combining well-designed experiments with simulations; and (iv) reengineer G/L/S multiphasic reactors using our particle-stabilized nanoreactors to achieve a high catalytic performance at milder operation conditions compared to conventional reactors while keeping a high degree of stability and flexibility at reduced layouts. Through innovation on both amphiphilic catalysts and process intensification, MICHELANGELO will deliver a radical step change towards a higher efficiency and competitiveness in the process industry.

1 956 720 €

Start date: 2018-10-01, End date: 2023-09-30

Tremendous progress has been made in the last decade in the genetic characterization of microorganisms, both in culture and in the environment. However, our knowledge of microbial membrane lipids, essential building blocks of the cell, has only marginally improved. This is remarkable since there exists a dichotomy in the distribution of lipids between the three Domains of Life. Diacyl glycerols based on straight-chain fatty acids are produced by bacteria and eukaryotes, whereas archaea synthesize isoprenoidal glycerol ether lipids. From a microbial evolutionary perspectives, this ‘lipid divide’ is enigmatic since it has recently become clear that eukaryotes evolved from the archaea. Preliminary results of my research group show that when novel analytical methodology is used, there is a large hidden diversity in microbial lipid composition that may resolve this fundamental question. Here I propose to systematically characterize prokaryotic intact polar lipids (IPLs) with state-of-the-art analytical techniques based on liquid chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry to bring our knowledge of microbial lipids to the next level. To this end, we will characterize (i) 250+ bacterial and archaeal cultures and (ii) 200+ environmental samples for IPLs by HPLC-MS, complemented by full identification of fatty acids and other lipids released after acid hydrolysis of total cells. This approach will be complemented by the characterisation of functional genes for lipid biosynthesis. This will involve both mapping of known genes, based on the analysis of published whole (meta)genome data, as well as the identification of as yet unknown genes in selected groups of prokaryotes. The results are expected to make a fundamental contribution to (i) our understanding of the evolution of biosynthesis of membrane lipids, (ii) their application as microbial markers in the environment, and (iii) in the development and application of organic proxies in earth sciences.

2 499 426 €

Start date: 2016-10-01, End date: 2021-09-30

Despite the many advantages of microchemical systems and their successful applications in chemical engineering research, one major drawback greatly limiting their use is their susceptibility to channel clogging for flows containing particulate matter. Hence, the aim of the proposed research is to overcome the challenge of clogging in microfluidic devices and to design microfluidic systems that can tolerate particulate matter and synthesize solid materials according to their specifications (e.g. size, purity, morphology). To reach this goal, we apply a combined experimental and theoretical approach, in which the experimental results will lead to model development reflecting the particle formation and interaction kinetics and their coupling to the hydrodynamics. The novel concept of the proposal is to devise engineering strategies to handle the particulate matter inside the reactor depending on if the solid material is i) an unwanted and insoluble by-product of a reaction, or ii) the target compound (e.g. nanoparticle synthesis or crystallization of organic molecules). Depending on the case we will design different ultrasound application strategies and introduce nucleation sites to control the location of particle formation within the microchannel. This project will provide fundamental insight into the physico-chemical phenomena that result in particle formation, growth and agglomeration processes in continuous flow microdevices, and will provide a theoretical tool for the prediction of the dynamics of particle-particle, particle-wall and particle-fluid interactions, leading to innovative microreactor designs.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2016-03-01, End date: 2021-02-28

The continental crust is the principal record of conditions on Earth during the past 4.4 billion years, yet how it formed and evolved through time remains unresolved. Zircon lies at the core of crustal evolution studies, and yet our knowledge has remained restricted to the geochemical information that can be extracted from this mineral with current techniques. This CoG moves the debate to a different scale analytically, to the scale of mineral inclusions encapsulated within zircons. A key motivation is the recent analytical breakthrough in the microanalysis of minute samples, which was achieved by the PI and the team he led at the University of Bristol, using state-of-the-art instruments similar to those now available at the PI’s host laboratory. The integrated analysis of Sr and Pb isotopes of mineral inclusions, along with the trace elements, U-Pb, Hf and O isotopes analysis of their host zircons, for over 5000 zircons of different ages and provenance, will provide new and different information to that available from the 'zircon only' record – ultimately to i) probe the inferred transition from intraplate- to subduction-related magmatism associated with the onset of plate tectonics; ii) date this transition and its duration precisely in different places; iii) develop a global model of continental crust evolution from the Hadean (i.e. >4 Ga) to the Present, in which the Earth has progressively, or more suddenly, become a habitable planet. These goals will be achieved through: 1. Building a worldwide collection of inclusion-bearing zircons with a range of ages and provenance (WP1). 2. Evaluating changes in the degree of differentiation of the newly generated continental crust through time, using the Sr isotope record of apatite inclusions (WP2). 3. Addressing changes in the tectonic settings of new crust formation, using the Pb isotope record of feldspar inclusions (WP3). 4. Modelling the variation in the new crust thickness through space and time (WP4).

1 999 500 €

Start date: 2019-09-01, End date: 2024-08-31

Transition metal oxides possess a broad range of functionalities (superconductivity, magnetism, ferroelectricity, multiferroicity) stemming from the interplay between structural effects and electronic correlations. Recent work has revealed exciting physics at their interfaces, including two-dimensional (2D) conductivity and superconductivity in the electron gas that forms at the interface between two band insulators, LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. However, to date, no interfacial system has truly shown electronic properties that are absent from the phase diagram of both bulk constituents. I argue that to fully embrace the immense potential of oxide interfaces and unveil unprecedented electronic phases, combining insulators with stronger electronic correlations is mandatory. At the crossroad between strongly-correlated electron physics, microelectronics and spintronics, the MINT project will pioneer routes toward a new realm of solid-state physics. MINT will harness electronic and magnetic instabilities in correlated oxides to craft new electronic phases controllable by external stimuli. These phases will be generated by the synergic action of strain engineering, interfacial charge/orbital/spin reconstruction and octahedra connectivity control, using rare-earth titanate RTiO3 Mott-Hubbard insulators as templates. Emerging states that are foreseen include 2D electron gases with ferroic order, superconductivity at relatively high temperature, topological states and new forms of multiferroicity and magnetoelectric coupling. The discovery of any of these new states would represent a major breakthrough in oxide electronics. They will open possibilities for innovative devices yielding giant electroresistance without ferroelectrics, and new schemes to control spin currents by electric fields. At full term, MINT will establish whether oxide interfaces will live up to their expectations and start in the coming decades a technological revolution comparable to that of silicon.

1 998 026 €

Start date: 2014-10-01, End date: 2019-09-30

The discovery of molecules in the early universe is a challenging providence. Molecules unveil the truly cold universe in which stars form and their rich versatility provides unique diagnostics to unravel the ”relative importance of purely gravitational effects and gas dynamical effects involving dissipation and radiative cooling”, recognized 40 years ago by White and Rees to be a central issue in theories of galaxy formation. Molecules also reveal that cosmic turbulence is far less dissipative than predicted by cosmological simulations, with a broad equipartition in a vast variety of media between the thermal energy of the hottest phases and the turbulent energy of the coldest. Our project focuses on the physics of turbulent dissipation, and its link to the emergence of molecules, in the magnetized compressible medium where gravitational instability develops to form stars and seed galaxies in the early universe. It builds on a fundamental property of turbulence, its space-time intermittency: dissipation occurs in bursts. Our team will foster strong interactions between three main research axes: (1) observations of the chemical and thermal markers of turbulent dissipation in the high-redshift and local universe, (2) statistical analyses of the magnetic and velocity fields in samples of unprecedented size and sensitivity to study the non-Gaussian signatures of turbulent dissipation, and (3) numerical experiments dedicated to (a) the space-time structures of turbulent dissipation and the formation of molecules in their wake, and (b) the split of the energy trails between hot/thermal and cold/turbulent phases. This project will benefit from the prodigious capabilities of the ALMA and NOEMA interferometers, the launch of the JWST in 2018, and the Planck satellite data on polarized Galactic foregrounds. The ENS Physics Department, with its strong theoretical and experimental expertise on turbulence, is an ideal place to house such a project.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2017-10-01, End date: 2022-09-30

Gauge theories are the basis of modern theories of high-energy physics. Perturbative calculations are crucial to developing our quantitative understanding of these theories, as well as seeking new and deeper structures in these theories. Precision higher-order calculations in the SU(3) component of the Standard Model, perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), will be crucial to understanding data at the CERN-based Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and finding and measuring physics beyond the standard model. Precision calculations in the electroweak theory will also play a role in confronting later precision data with theoretical models. The related maximally (N=4) supersymmetric gauge theory has served both as an important theoretical laboratory for developing new calculational techniques, as well as a link to string theory via the AdS/CFT duality. It is also emerging as a fruitful meeting point for ideas and methods from three distinct areas of theoretical physics: perturbative gauge theories, integrable systems, and string theory. The Project covers three related areas of perturbative gauge theories: computation of one- and two-loop amplitudes in perturbative quantum chromodynamics; incorporation of these amplitudes and development of a fully-matched parton-shower formalism and numerical code; and higher-loop computations in the N=4 supersymmetric theory. It aims to develop a general-purpose numerical-analytic hybrid program for computing phenomenologically-relevant one- and two-loop amplitudes in perturbative QCD. It also aims to develop a new parton shower allowing complete matching to leading and next-to-leading order computations. It seeks to further develop on-shell computational methods, and apply them to the N=4 supersymmetric gauge theory, with the goal of connecting perturbative quantities to their strong-coupling counterparts computed using the dual string theory.

961 080 €

Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2014-12-31

Protein folding, the process by which a protein assumes its three-dimensional shape, is one of the basic unsolved problems of biophysical and biochemical research. Many of the structural changes taking place during protein folding, especially during the early stages, are as yet poorly understood. This is because high-resolution structural techniques generally lack the time resolution necessary for observation of folding dynamics, whereas methods that have the required time resolution generally lack structural specificity. We propose an experimental approach that combines the structure-sensitivity of multi-dimensional NMR with the ultrafast time resolution of optical techniques. To do this, we use two-dimensional optical spectroscopy (in particular, two-dimensional optical spectroscopy and time-resolved vibrational circular dichroism) in combination with site-specific labeling of proteins. This will make it possible to obtain a structurally and temporally resolved picture of protein folding, which can be regarded as a 'molecular movie' of the folding process. With the proposed method, we will investigate structural changes during protein folding at increasing levels of complexity: from the dynamics of alpha-helix nucleation, to the formation and structural characteristics of intermediate states in small globular proteins and complex beta-sheet topologies, to the nature of biologically functional, short-lived unfolded states in signalling proteins. At each of these levels of complexity, the proposed method will be used to unravel the mechanisms behind the respective folding events.

1 716 321 €

Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2014-08-31

The main theme of this proposal is the Geometric Representation Theory of reductive algebraic groups over algebraically closed fields of positive characteristic. Our primary goal is to obtain character formulas for simple and for indecomposable tilting representations of such groups, by developing a geometric framework for their categories of representations. Obtaining such formulas has been one of the main problems in this area since the 1980's. A program outlined by G. Lusztig in the 1990's has lead to a formula for the characters of simple representations in the case the characteristic of the base field is bigger than an explicit but huge bound. A recent breakthrough due to G. Williamson has shown that this formula cannot hold for smaller characteristics, however. Nothing is known about characters of tilting modules in general (except for a conjectural formula for some characters, due to Andersen). Our main tools include a new perspective on Soergel bimodules offered by the study of parity sheaves (introduced by Juteau-Mautner-Williamson) and a diagrammatic presentation of their category (due to Elias-Williamson).

882 844 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

"This project pushes Molecular Electronics (ME) beyond simple distant-dependence studies towards controlling tunneling charge transport with organic synthesis by manipulating the intrinsic properties of organic molecules to shape the tunneling barrier. The measurements will be done with two tools that I have developed; Eutectic Ga-In (EGaIn), which is increasingly being used by the ME community as a robust method for measuring charge-transport through self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and SAM-templated nanogap (STAN) electrodes, which is a newer tool that allows the facile coupling of light and electric fields into SAM-based tunneling junctions. These tools are critical for performing physical-organic studies in practical tunneling junctions in which the molecules themselves define the smallest dimension of the junction; spectroscopic tools that rely on AFM or STM define the junction with a piezo and are not directly applicable to practical devices, which is the underlying motivation for all research in ME. Two sets of molecules, one cross-conjugated and one combining flexible alkane tails with rigid oligophenylene moieties will be synthesized and investigated; more as necessary. Both series of molecules are designed around straightforward physical-organic studies meant to elucidate structure/property relationships empirically by measuring the influence of systematic structural/electronic changes on the electrical properties of tunneling junctions. The molecules will be incorporated into both EGaIn and STAN junctions to unravel the effects of the energies of the frontier orbitals, dipole moments, and other non-length-dependent synthetic handles. In the STAN junctions, the molecules will be gated with electric fields to examine more closely dynamic shifts in orbital energies and the role of polarizability."

1 494 863 €

Start date: 2013-08-01, End date: 2018-07-31

In a recent series of experiments, it has been shown that polar molecules can be decelerated, bunched, cooled, and trapped using time-varying electric fields. These experiments demonstrate an unprecedented level of control over molecules, which enables a variety of applications of great scientific interest. Here, I propose to use these techniques to create a molecular fountain. In this fountain, the first of its kind, polar molecules are decelerated, cooled, and subsequently launched upwards some 10-50 cm before falling back under gravity, thereby passing a microwave cavity or laser beam twice – as they fly up and as they fall back down. The effective interrogation time in such a Ramsey type measurement scheme includes the entire flight time between the two traversals through the driving field, which can be up to a second. This long interrogation time will allow for extreme precision measurements on molecular structure to a level at which fundamental physics theories can be tested. I will use the inversion frequency in ammonia around 23 GHz as a test case. This transition is very well studied and was used in the first ‘atomic’ clock and the first demonstration of a MASER. The fountain should make it possible to measure the inversion frequency with a relative accuracy of 10^{-12}–10^{-14}; that is more than a thousand fold improvement as compared to the best previous measurement. Besides serving as a proof-of-principle, this measurement may be used as a test of the time-variation of fundamental constants – an issue that has profound implications on how we understand the universe. The inversion frequency in ammonia is determined by the tunneling rate of the protons through the barrier between the two equivalent configurations of the molecule, and is exponentially dependent on the proton mass. By monitoring the inversion frequency over a period of a few years, a possible variation of the proton-electron mass ratio can be constrained or measured.

1 100 000 €

Start date: 2008-08-01, End date: 2013-07-31

Because of their internal structure, molecules provide novel functionality not realizable in conventional semiconductor-based electronics. One exciting new possibility is that of spintronics: electronic devices using the electron spin to carry and manipulate information. So far, spintronics has been explored in metals and semiconductors. Magnetic molecules in principle enable radically new approaches in using the spin degree of freedom, but their incorporation in solid-state devices is a daunting task. In particular, the main challenge is to control their spin for storing and reading information. We propose to use electric fields and light for this purpose. Based on our recent breakthroughs in making nanoscale junctions of noble metals and graphene, we will fabricate and study planar spin transistors built up from individual magnetic molecules or nanoparticles. A key device feature is that electrodes are separated by a distance on the scale of the molecular object itself. This geometry allows for in-situ application of strong local electric fields as well as optical fields to modify magnetic states and hence influence the conductance. The objective of this proposal is to study how the electric conductance through single molecules and nanoparticles can be used to probe their magnetic properties and how external stimuli can control them. We will perform proof-of-principle experiments divided into four challenging tasks: 1) Study of quantum aspects of transport through single magnetic molecules and nanoparticles; 2) Room-temperature studies of molecular magnetism on the molecular scale; 3) Measurement of spin-polarized currents through molecular-scale magnetic junctions; and 4) Control of molecular magnetism by local electric and optical fields. By obtaining a detailed understanding of the interplay between molecular magnetism and transport we strive to establish new strategies towards in-situ spin-state control and the development of novel spintronic nanodevices.

1 998 747 €

Start date: 2013-04-01, End date: 2018-03-31

"The project will explore many-body physics in emergent quantum Hall effect systems (graphitic layers and surface states of topological insulators) and in layered metals of transition metal dichalcogenides using magneto-optical spectroscopy - unconventional for this purpose, but uniquely applicable to these unconventional systems. Studying the inter Landau level excitations (with Raman scattering techniques) in graphene and its bilayer we will test the basic principles of the role of electron-electron interactions in the regime of the quantum Hall effect. Employing high sensitivity microwave absorption methods, we will attempt to solve one of the most controversial issues in the physics of graphene: the nature of the low temperature ground state of the graphene bilayer. The magneto-optical response (in the far-infrared range) of three dimensional topological insulators will be investigated with the aim of demonstrating a new (half odd-integer) quantum Hall effect of their surface states and possible new exotic ground states of single-cone Dirac fermions. Finally, with a fresh experimental approach (cyclotron resonance absorption on NbSe2 and TaS2 and their thin layers) we will shed new light on one of the most intriguing phenomena in strongly correlated systems: competition between an insulating behaviour (charge density wave state in our case) and the ideal-conductor, superconductivity phase."

1 934 041 €

Start date: 2013-03-01, End date: 2018-02-28

MONACAT proposes a novel approach to address the challenge of intermittent energy storage. Specifically, the purpose is to conceive and synthesize novel complex nano-objects displaying both physical and chemical properties that enable catalytic transformations with a fast and optimum energy conversion. It follows over 20 years of research on “organometallic nanoparticles”, an approach of nanoparticles (NPs) synthesis where the first goal is to control the surface of the particles as in molecular organometallic species. Two families of NPs will be studied: 1) magnetic NPs that can be heated by excitation with an alternating magnetic field and 2) plasmonic NPs that absorb visible light and transform it into heat. In all cases, deposition of additional materials as islands or thin layers will improve the NPs catalytic activity. Iron carbides NPs have recently been shown to heat efficiently upon magnetic excitation and to catalyse CO hydrogenation into hydrocarbons. In order to transform this observation into a viable process, MONACAT will address the following challenges: determination and control of surface temperature using fluorophores or quantum dots, optimization of heating capacity (size, anisotropy of the material, crystallinity, phases: FeCo, FeNi, chemical order), optimization of catalytic properties (islands vs core-shell structures; Ru, Ni for methane, Cu/Zn for methanol), stability and optimization of energy efficiency. A similar approach will be used for direct light conversion using as first proofs of concept Au or Ag NPs coated with Ru. Catalytic tests will be performed on two heterogeneous reactions after deposition of the NPs onto a support: CO2 hydrogenation into methane and methanol synthesis. In addition, the potential of catalysis making use of self-heated and magnetically recoverable NPs will be studied in solution (reduction of arenes or oxygenated functions, hydrogenation and hydrogenolysis of biomass platform molecules, Fischer-Tropsch).

2 472 223 €

Start date: 2016-06-01, End date: 2021-05-31

The ever-increasing demand for improved electrochemical energy storage technologies has fostered intense, worldwide and interdisciplinary research over the past decade. The field of positive electrode materials remains largely dominated by transition metal compounds in which only the redox of metal cations contributes to the energy storage. The development of new materials and technologies, wherein both anions and cations display reversible, multi-electron redox, is bound to strongly impact this field. MOOiRÉ will challenge this goal through innovative approaches on Metal Organic Compounds and Frameworks (MOC/Fs) with mix-in many-electron reversible redox of both, transition metal cations and organic ligand anions. Building on our preliminary results MOOiRÉ will adopt an integrated approach. We will combine performance oriented MOC/F molecular design supported by in-operando analytical inspection tools with novel electrode engineering approaches to overcome the limitations and enable efficient electrochemical charge storage. Through this highly interdisciplinary research, MOOiRÉ intends to advance the science and technology of mix-in redox MOC/Fs for next generation batteries, supercapacitors and their hybrids. MOOiRÉ will also be a major systematic study of the fundamentals of MOC/F-based energy storage systems in view of a practical implementation. The overall impact will extend beyond the energy science community: the developed knowledge, tools and procedures will influence research and development related to porous composite materials, sorption, ion exchange and electrocatalysis. In the context of energy storage, this will be a disruptive development, enabling the use of MOC/Fs electrodes, with superior levels of performance as compared to current technology, at affordable costs and based on novel protocols.

1 997 541 €

Start date: 2018-09-01, End date: 2023-08-31

The sophistication reached by organic chemistry has enabled the design and synthesis of a wide range of dynamic molecules that display controlled shape changes with an ever-increasing refinement. However, amplifying these molecular-scale dynamics to support shape-transformation in a broad range of macroscopic functions remains a key challenge. To address this challenge, I draw inspiration from living materials where molecular machines maintain out of equilibrium states by ingenious coupling with their anisotropic supramolecular environment, and ultimately promote the appearance of emergent properties on higher levels of organization. The aim of Morpheus is to develop shape-shifting materials and shape-generating photochemical systems by amplifying the motion of molecular machines over increasing length scales, towards the emergence of cohesive shape transformation in artificial tissue-like materials. We will (i) develop motorized materials by coupling light-driven molecular motors to liquid crystals and pre-program photoreaction-diffusion processes to achieve continuous motion; (ii) combine microfluidics with the anisotropic response of liquid crystal elastomers to create a library of shape-shifting bubbles and shells that undergo pre-programmed shape modification under irradiation with light; (iii) promote adhesion between units of mechanized matter, while preserving their original shape-shifting and shape-generating properties; and (iv) assemble tissue-like morphing materials from large cohesive networks of shape-shifting micro-spheres. This project will lay the scientific foundation for a new and multidisciplinary approach towards shape-generating molecular materials. It will yield unprecedented examples of emergent dynamics, provide simple models to untangle the underpinnings of mechanical transduction in nature, and contribute to developing new paradigms for the design of active matter.

2 000 000 €

Start date: 2018-09-01, End date: 2023-08-31

"We aim to create a new and powerful theory of motivic integration which incorporates Mellin transforms. The absence of motivic Mellin transforms is a major drawback of the existing theories. Classical Mellin transforms are in essence Fourier transforms on the multiplicative group of local fields. We aim to apply this theory to study new motivic Poisson summation formulas, new transfer principles, and applications of these. All of this has so far only been studied in the presence of additive characters, and remains completely open for multiplicative characters. Understanding all this at a motivic level yields a uniform understanding when the local field varies and will require an approach using non-archimedean geometry. We will open up possibilities for applications via new transfer principles and will give access to motivic Poisson formulas of other groups than the additive group. For these applications it is important that Fubini Theorems are present at the level of the motivic integrals, which we aim to develop. We will overcome the major obstacle of the totally different nature of the dual group of the multiplicative group by a proposed sequence of germs of ideas by the author. The importance of our work on motivic Fourier transforms on the additive group is already widely recognized, and this proposal will complement it by exploring the new territory of motivic multiplicative characters. A final topic is the study of the highly non-understood exponential sums modulo powers of primes, in relation with Igusa's foundational work. We will try to discover a deeper understanding of the uniform behavior of these sums when the prime number varies. These sums are linked to geometrical concepts like the log-canonical threshold, and also to Poisson summation, after the work by Igusa. We will aim to prove a highly generalized form of Igusa's conjecture on exponential sums."

912 000 €

Start date: 2014-03-01, End date: 2019-02-28

Many models for materials rely on a microscopic description. In a classical regime and for a fixed temperature, atoms are described by particles that interact through a force field and evolve according to Newton’s equations of motion, with additional stochastic terms to model thermostating. This simulation technique is called molecular dynamics. Applications are ubiquitous, ranging from biology to materials science. The direct numerical simulation of these models is extremely computationally expensive, since the typical timescale at the microscopic level is orders of magnitude smaller than the macroscopic timescales of interest. Many algorithms used by practitioners have not yet been investigated by applied mathematicians. The aim of this proposal is to further develop the mathematical analysis of these methods and to build new and more efficient algorithms, validated by precise error estimates. The underlying theoretical questions are related to the mathematical definition and quantification of metastability for stochastic processes. Metastability refers to the fact that the stochastic process remains trapped in some regions of the configuration space for very long times. Using naive simulations, transitions between these states are very rarely observed, whereas these transition events are actually those which matter at the macroscopic level. Metastability is one of the major bottlenecks in making molecular simulations predictive for real life test cases. The main challenges motivating this proposal are: the design of efficient techniques to sample high-dimensional multimodal measures, the development and analysis of algorithms to sample metastable dynamics and the construction of coarse-graining techniques for high-dimensional problems. This project relies on strong collaborations with practitioners (biologists and physicists) in order to propose common benchmarks, to identify the methodological bottlenecks and to apply new algorithms to real life test cases.

1 773 600 €

Start date: 2014-06-01, End date: 2019-05-31

Dense gas-solid flows have been the subject of intense research over the past decades, owing to its wealth of scientifically interesting phenomena, as well as to its direct relevance for innumerable industrial applications. Dense gas solid flows are notoriously complex and its phenomena difficult to predict. This finds its origin in the large separation of relevant scales: particle-particle and particle-gas interactions at the microscale (< 1 mm) dictate the phenomena that occur at the macroscale (> 1 meter), the fundamental understanding of which poses a huge challenge for both the scientific and technological community. This proposal is aimed at providing a comprehensive understanding of large-scale dense gas-solid flow based on first principles, that is, based on the exchange of mass, momentum and heat at the surface of the individual solid particles, below the millimeter scale. To this end, we employ a multi-scale approach, where the gas-solid flow is described by three different models. Such an approach is by now widely recognized as the most rigorous and viable pathway to obtain a full understanding of dense-gas solid flow, and has become very topical in chemical engineering science. The unique aspect of this proposal is the scale and the comprehensiveness of the research: we want to consider, for the first time, the exchange of heat, momentum and energy, and the effects of polydispersity, heterogeneity, and domain geometries, at all three levels of modeling, and validated by one-to-one experiments. These generated insight and models will be extremely relevant for the design and scale-up of industrial equipment involving dispersed particulate flow, which is currently a fully empirical process, involving expensive and time-consuming experimentation.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2015-02-28

The aim of this interdisciplinary project is to develop new mathematical and statistical tools, probabilistic approaches, and inversion and optimal design methods to address emerging modalities in medical imaging, nondestructive testing, and environmental inverse problems. It merges the complementary expertise of the investigators in order to make a breakthrough in the field of mathematical imaging and optimal design by solving the most challenging problems posed by new imaging modalities. The PI and Co-PI are leading experts in their respective fields (applied analysis and probability) and their researches have very strong interdisciplinary nature. The goal of this project is to synergize asymptotic imaging, stochastic modelling, and analysis of both deterministic and stochastic wave propagation phenomena. We want to throw a bridge across the deterministic and stochastic aspects and tools of mathematical imaging. This requires a deep understanding of the different scales in the physical problem, an accurate modelling of the noise sources, and fine mathematical analysis of complex phenomena. The emphasis of this project will be put on deriving for each of the challenging imaging problems that we will consider, the best possible imaging functionals in the sense of stability and resolution. For optimal design problems, we will evaluate the effect of uncertainties on the geometrical or physical parameters and design accurate optimal design methodologies. In this project, we will build an exceptional interdisciplinary research and an innovative approach to training in applied mathematics. We will train a new generation of applied mathematicians who will master both the probabilistic and analytical tools to best meet the challenges of emerging technologies.

1 920 000 €

Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2016-03-31

With stellar masses in the range of eight to several hundreds of solar masses, massive stars are among the most important cosmic engines, each individual object strongly impacting its local environment and populations of massive stars driving the evolution of galaxies throughout the history of the universe. Recently, I have shown that stars more massive than 15 Msun rarely, if at all, form and live in isolation but rather as part of a binary or higher-order multiple system. Understanding the life cycle of massive multiple systems, from their birth to their death as supernovae and long-duration gamma ray bursts, is one of the most pressing scientific questions in modern astrophysics. To obtain the key observational breakthroughs needed to revolutionize our understanding of high-mass stars, my research program is developed along three themes: (i) investigate the physical processes that set the multiplicity properties of massive stars, (ii) establish the multiplicity properties of unevolved massive stars across the entire mass range, (iii) identify and uniquely characterize post-interaction products. The implementation of the MULTIPLES program involves ambitious time-resolved observational campaigns targeting large populations of massive stars at key stages of their pre-supernova evolution and in different metallicity environments. These campaigns will combine state-of-the-art spectroscopy and high-angular resolution techniques with novel multiplicity and atmosphere analysis methods appropriate for multiple systems. Upon completion, the observational constraints that will be obtained in this project will have implications that extend well beyond the sole domain of stellar astrophysics.

1 991 243 €

Start date: 2018-10-01, End date: 2023-09-30

My project will boost the precision of theoretical predictions for collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. Precise predictions are crucial to further constrain the properties of the recently-discovered Higgs boson, and uncover a faint signal of Beyond-the-Standard Model physics. I will focus on the strong interactions, which dominate the theoretical uncertainty and play a role at multiple energy scales, including those related to the incoming protons, the hard scattering, the masses of (new) particles, the transverse momentum and size of jets. The critical progress of this proposal lies in taking this intrinsically multi-scale nature into account, moving beyond the current trade-off between precision and realism in the three dominant calculational paradigms. Fixed-order calculations are systematically improvable but assume that there is no hierarchy between perturbative scales. Monte Carlo event generators provide a fully exclusive description of the final state, but are currently limited to leading-logarithmic order and lack theoretical uncertainties. Resummed calculations can reach a higher logarithmic accuracy, but have been restricted to single observables. In a recent breakthrough, I constructed a new effective field theory that simultaneously achieves higher logarithmic accuracy in two independent observables, by factorizing the physics at the corresponding scales. Moving beyond this prototypical study, I will develop the general effective field theory framework that accounts for the relevant scales in realistic measurements, which overcomes the limitations of all three paradigms. This research will be carried out in the context of several important LHC applications: precision Higgs measurements, jet substructure techniques for identifying boosted heavy particles and supersymmetry searches. My new field-theoretic insights and more precise predictions will be critical as the LHC starts Run 2, searching for new physics at even higher energies.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

The goal of NanoHarvest is to explore novel solutions for flexible photovoltaic and piezoelectric converters enabled by semiconductor nanowires. The first objective is to demonstrate an innovative concept of flexible solar cells based on free-standing polymer-embedded nanowires which can be applied to almost any supporting material such as plastic, metal foil or even fabrics. The second objective it to develop high-efficiency flexible and compact piezo-generators based on ordered arrays of nanowire heterostructures. The crucial ingredient - and also the common basis - of the two proposed research axes are the advanced nanowire heterostructures: we will develop nanowires with new control-by-design functionalities by engineering their structure at the nanoscale. The main focus of NanoHarvest will be on the III-nitride semiconductors, which are characterized by a strong piezoelectric response and have also demonstrated their ability for efficient photon harvesting in the blue and green parts of the solar spectrum. Our strategy is to address the physical mechanisms governing the energy conversion from the single nanowire level up to the macroscopic device level. The deep understanding gained at the nanoscale will guide the optimization of the device architecture, of the material growth and of the fabrication process. We will make use of Molecular Beam Epitaxy to achieve ultimate control over the nanowire morphology and composition and to produce control-by-design model systems for fundamental studies and for exploration of device physics. The original transfer procedure of the ordered nanowire arrays onto flexible substrates will enable lightweight flexible devices with ultimate performance, which will serve as energy harvesters for nomad applications.

1 496 571 €

Start date: 2015-04-01, End date: 2020-03-31

Great successes have been achieved in nanoscience where the development of functional properties and the assembly of nanostructures into nanomaterials have become increasingly important. In general, both the tuning of the chemical and physical properties and the self-assembly of nanocrystals into 2D or 3D superstructures take place in a liquid environment. When analysing the structural properties of nanocrystals using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), this liquid environment is contained between membranes to keep it in the high vacuum. At present, the thickness of the liquid is not controlled, which renders standard imaging at atomic resolution impossible. Here I propose to integrate micro-electromechanical actuator functionalities in the Liquid Cell chips to overcome this problem so that real-time atomic resolution imaging and chemical analysis on nanoparticles in solution becomes a reality. This new in-situ technology will elucidate what really happens during chemical reactions, and will thereby enable the development of new nanomaterials for optoelectronics, lighting, and catalysis. Oriented attachment processes and self-assembly of nanoparticles, which are key to the large-scale production of 2D and 3D nanomaterials, can also be followed in the Liquid Cell. Furthermore, the hydration of nanoscale model systems of earth materials such as magnesia, alumina, and calcium oxide is of major importance in the geosciences. In the field of enhanced oil recovery, for example, the huge volumetric expansion that comes with the hydration of these minerals could facilitate access to reservoirs. My research group has extensive experience in in-situ TEM and recently has achieved significant successes in Liquid Cell studies. We are in an ideal position to develop this new technology and open up these new research areas, which will have a major impact on science, industry, and society.

1 996 250 €

Start date: 2016-09-01, End date: 2021-08-31

Is it possible to really 'see' individual molecules in action as they are involved in a chemical reaction at a surface? And can we, in this way, get a complete understanding of reaction mechanisms, at the resolution of atoms? The importance of studying chemical reactions at surfaces has recently been highlighted by Gerhard Ertl being awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2007, for elucidating mechanisms of chemical processes on heterogeneous catalysts at the single molecule level with Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM). Although ground-breaking, these studies were carried out in ultra-high vacuum, which is, however, an unrealistic condition for conventional chemical or biological reactions which usually occur in a liquid medium. The aim of this ERC proposal is to establish a research area at the interface of chemistry and physics which has so far been nearly completely unexplored: the investigation of chemical reactions at solid-liquid interfaces at the highest detail possible, by visualizing molecules with STM while they are involved in a reaction. By doing so, unique information about reaction mechanisms can be obtained by looking at individual molecules, instead of ensembles where the behaviour of many molecules is averaged. Towards this goal I propose to use a newly developed catalysis-STM setup, which is equipped with a liquid-cell and a bell-jar, and in which the conditions that are commonly applied in chemical laboratory processes (e.g. addition and withdrawal of chemicals, working under different atmospheres) can be closely resembled. In this setup I intend to carry out chemical reactions at a surface and monitor the behaviour of individual adsorbed catalysts, while they are in action. More specifically, it is my aim to investigate in detail the relation between structure and reactivity at the nanoscale

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2010-09-01, End date: 2015-08-31

The “NanoEnabledPV” research program will exploit the fundamental benefits of nanomaterials and address their challenges to make low-cost solar cells a reality. NanoEnabledPV contains three focus areas necessary to reach our goal: 1) “Nano surface doping” – surface-controlled nanomaterial properties. We will explore using charged surface oxides and surface ligands with dipole moments as a novel doping mechanism. We will make the first nanowire solar cell using a surface “p-n” junction. The lessons learned from single nanowire studies will be extended to make large-scale, high efficiency metal-insulator-semiconductor solar cells. 2) “Solar highways” – metal nanowire core-semiconductor shell photovoltaics. We will examine the optical and electrical properties of silver and copper nanowires coated with various semiconductor shells for the first time. This novel device structure can achieve complete absorption using 10 times thinner semiconductor layers compared to standard thin-film structures and also enables facile charge extraction via the metal core. 3) “Nanophotography” – hierarchical synthesis and assembly based on optical resonances in nanostructures. We will develop a new type of mask-free photolithography in solution with resolution far below the diffraction limit. This will enable rational, large-scale synthesis of ordered hierarchical structures that can be assembled into complex 3-D networks. Together, these programs that sit at the intersection of physics, chemistry, materials science and engineering will provide the active light-absorbing materials needed for next generation solar energy conversion schemes, a deep understanding of how they work at the nanoscale and methods for integrating them into macroscale devices. We are requesting 1.5 Million Euros over a period of 5 years that will be used to hire 2 PhD students, 2 postdoctoral researchers and buy the equipment needed to build a unique nanowire solar cell fabrication and analysis lab.

1 499 310 €

Start date: 2013-08-01, End date: 2018-07-31

Associating bulky and strong Lewis acid and base creates a Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP). Traditionally, both FLP partners are molecules. Molecular FLPs have shown excellent abilities to catch and dissociate small molecules such as H2 in a heterolytic way, under mild conditions. The driving force is the destabilization of the initial acid-base adduct, sterically frustrated: it liberates a reactive pocket that catches the small molecule guest, and strongly lowers the activation energy for bond dissociation. The pristine and challenging concept of NanoFLP consists in replacing one of the molecular FLP partner, either the acid or the base, by an inorganic nanoparticle: the other molecular partner will adsorb on the surface and boosts the reactivity of the nanoparticle by creating a frustrated active site. I will demonstrate the versatility of NanoFLPs with three families of inorganic nanoparticles (metals, acidic oxides, basic oxides), illustrating the two schemes: nanoparticle is either the Lewis acid or the Lewis base. I will use probe molecules (CO2, H2, SO2 and N2O) to investigate the nature and reactivity of the active sites. All reactions should be achieved under much milder conditions (rt.-150 °C, 1-3 bars) than those required using similar nanoparticles in the absence of the molecular partner. I will fully describe the nanoparticle surface and the dynamics of the molecular partner using benchtop and synchrotron spectroscopies with in situ cells: infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance in solution, X-ray absorption and near-ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the last stage of the project, I will take advantage of the several active sites that one nanoparticle can bear to achieve combined reactions of two small molecules (reactants) on a single NanoFLP. NanoFLP proposes a new type of active site for utilizing small molecules as sources of C, N, S and O. It will open an avenue in the design of reactive interfaces, eg. for catalysis and sensors.

1 499 875 €

Start date: 2018-01-01, End date: 2022-12-31

"Graphene is a new class of promising material with exceptional properties and thus warrants a plethora of potential applications in various domains of science and technology. However, due to intrinsic zero bandgap and inherently low solubility, a prerequisite for the use of graphene in several applications is its controlled and reproducible functionalization in a nanostructured fashion. Being a ‘surface-only’ nanomaterial, its properties are extremely sensitive not only to chemical modification but also to noncovalent interactions with simple organic molecules. A systematic knowledge base for targeted functionalization of graphene still eludes the scientific community. The present experimental protocols suffer from important shortcomings. Firstly, graphene functionalization occurs randomly in solution based methods and there is scarcity of methods that can exert precise control over how and where the reactions/interactions occur. Secondly, due to random functionalization, producing reproducible samples of structurally uniform graphene and graphitic materials remains a major challenge. Lastly, a molecular level understanding of the functionalization process is still lacking which precludes systematic strategies for manipulation of graphene and graphitic materials. NANOGRAPH@LSI aims to develop systematic experimental protocols for controlled and reproducible (covalent, non-covalent as well as the combination of both) functionalization of graphene and graphitic materials in a nanostructured fashion at the liquid-solid interface (LSI), along with the implementation of new nanoscale characterisation tools, targeting a broad range of applications in the fields of electronics, i.e. graphene bandgap engineering, sensing, and separation. Supramolecular self-assembly of organic building blocks at the liquid-solid interface will be employed as a basic strategy. In view of the above mentioned applications, also upscaling protocols will be developed and implemented."

2 495 740 €

Start date: 2013-11-01, End date: 2018-10-31

The foundation of nanophotonics and nanoplasmonics has boosted the development of ultrasensitive detection techniques. Some of these techniques, such as Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy or Surface Enhanced Fluorescence, are able to detect femtomolar concentrations of analytes or even single molecules, only relying on the adsorption of the analytes on a nanostructured surfaces. The development of nanotechnology requires a high control on the building blocks of the structures. The concept of self-assembly has been introduced and successfully applied in recent years to build all sorts of nanostructures. However, self-assembly generally involves an attractive interaction of the elements which requires the use of specially designed nanoparticles, thus imposing severe limitations in the applicability of self-assembly. The approach I want to explore in this project is a complete change of paradigm which consists on assembling nanostructures through the collapse of evaporating drops: A droplet, containing both metallic nanoparticles and a tiny amount of analyte molecules, evaporates until the whole solvent vanishes and only the solutes are left. By manipulating the way the droplet evaporates, we can control the shape and properties of the remains, and therefore assemble metallic nanoparticles together with the molecules of interest in a passive way. The project will increase the reach of plasmonic-based techniques for the early detection of diseases: First, the approach does not rely on expensive fabrication techniques, but only on the thermodynamics and the statistical physics of the particle packings. Secondly, by using a physical approach to form nanoparticle and analyte aggregates, we avoid adverse interactions with the analyte’s chemistry. The packing of metallic nanoparticles presents new challenges and brings several scientific questions that I will address experimentally through microfluidics, but also via simulations and modeling.

1 500 000 €

Start date: 2016-08-01, End date: 2021-07-31

Phonons (quanta of vibration) play a major role in many of the physical properties of condensed matter. One of the most striking features of acoustic phonons is their ability to interact with virtually any other excitation in solids. Recent progress in the design, fabrication and control of nanomechanical systems has paved the way to explore new frontiers in the classical and quantum worlds. Devices based on semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have been recently demonstrated to perform as near-ideal single photon sources, a very promising platform for developing a solid-state quantum network. The phonon engineering, however, remains an unexplored knob in the quantum information toolbox. The goal of this project is to explore new horizons in nanophononics by developing novel phononic networks with full control on the phonon dynamics, and unprecedented structures capable of acoustically interact with single QDs, bridging the gap between nanophononics and semiconductor QD quantum optics. AlGaAs based semiconductor cavities are capable of confining simultaneously photons and phonons. The building blocks of the proposed research are semiconductor pillar microcavities and single QDs deterministically positioned to maximize their interaction with the confined electromagnetic and elastic fields. To achieve our main goal we set three major objectives: 1) To develop novel one- and three-dimensional optophononic resonators and develop appropriate phononic measuring techniques; 2) To engineer nanophononic networks working in the tens-of-GHz range; and 3) To demonstrate first phonon cavity quantum electrodynamics phenomena for a single artificial atom coupled to a phononic cavity. Shaping the phononic environment opens exciting perspectives for solid state quantum applications, by providing a full control over the main source of decoherence and actually using it as a powerful resource to eventually transfer the quantum information.

1 499 375 €

Start date: 2017-02-01, End date: 2022-01-31

We plan to develop and make use of novel out-of-equilibrium spectroscopy techniques that give access to energy transfers in electronic nanocircuits. The unveiled information will be used to investigate promising quantum phenomena and to explore new routes to control the mechanisms that limit their potentialities for nanoelectronics. The proposals backbone is the spectroscopy of the fundamental electronic states energy distribution function f(E) that we demonstrated this fall 2009: by using a quantum dot as an energy filter, we performed the first measurement of a non-equilibrium f(E) in a semiconductor nanocircuit. We plan not only to employ it, but also to develop complementary techniques which will further widen our range of investigation. We anticipate this f(E) toolbox will be crucial for the rising field of out-of-equilibrium mesoscopic physics. We will first examine through the unexplored facet of heat transport the quantum Hall effect regimes, which exhibit a large variety of puzzling many-body quantum phenomena and are of particular interest for their metrology applications and quantum information potentialities. The planed experiments will be done for various out-of-equilibrium situations, which will permit us to address longstanding open questions, such as the nature of pertinent excitations, and to test original ways to increase quantum effects. We will also perform direct energy exchange measurements to investigate the inelastic mechanisms that set the length and energy scales of coherent and out-of-equilibrium physics in nanocircuits. The novel f(E) spectroscopy will permit us to take advantage of the two-dimensional electron gas circuits high modularity to study many transport regimes and geometries that remain unexplored from this revealing viewpoint.

1 454 400 €

Start date: 2010-12-01, End date: 2015-11-30

Nanomaterials revolutionized the field of targeted cancer therapies introducing innovative approaches towards the molecular recognition of diseased cells. However, despite the large investments in nanotechnology-based drug delivery the translation into clinical applications is still unsatisfactory and up to date there are no actively-targeted materials approved for clinical use. One of the main reasons is the lack of knowledge about the behaviour of nanostructures in the biological environment that makes the rational design of effective drug delivery carriers extremely challenging. NANOSTORM proposes the use of an innovative optical imaging technique such as super resolution microscopy to visualize and understand the molecular interactions of nanomaterials with their cellular targets in unprecedented detail. We recently reported for the first time the ability of Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM) to image self-assembled synthetic materials in vitro with nanometric resolution. NANOSTORM aims to bring this to the next level, using STORM to unveil the structure-activity relations of therapeutic nanomaterials in the biological environment at the single molecule level. The knowledge arising from this investigation will provide novel design principles for the next generation of nanomaterials for targeted therapies. In particular, in the framework of NANOSTORM novel nanomaterials for the targeted treatment of prostate cancer will be synthesized and evaluated. This interdisciplinary research program will advance our understanding of nanostructures for targeted drug delivery and guide the formulation of novel materials for cancer therapy.

1 497 588 €

Start date: 2018-02-01, End date: 2023-01-31

Viruses are a major class of pathogens that infect a variety of organisms. Infection is a multistep process that involves the concerted action of both virus and host cell machineries. The first steps of virus infection include cell binding, cell entry and release of the viral genetic material. Entry pathways are largely defined by the preliminary interactions between viruses and their receptors at the cell surface. Those interactions determine the mechanisms of virus attachment, uptake, and, ultimately, penetration into the cytosol. Elucidating the complex interplay between viruses and their receptors at the cell surface is an essential step towards establishing a full picture of the infection process. Currently, a crucial challenge in virology is to develop a quantitative method to decipher the entry pathways of a virus, thus allowing the probing of the kinetics and energetic parameters of the interactions established between the virus and the cell surface. While current methods successfully describe the entry pathways, they fail in identifying in a quantitative manner the key steps such as energy intensive and high-affinity steps. To overcome this limitation, the ambition of this ERC proposal is to combine the latest generations of atomic force microscopes (AFM) with confocal laser scanning microscopes (CLSM). This will allow us to investigate and quantitatively characterize the early steps of single virus entry directly on living cells. At the frontiers of nanotechnology, biophysics and biology, this project aims at pushing the limits of AFM to enable us to better understand the molecular mechanisms of virus entry. This project will have strong scientific and medical impacts. In virology, it will significantly improve the understanding of the mechanisms of virus infection. In medicine, the new method will help us and other researchers to screen new compounds that are targeting viral infection.

1 998 125 €

Start date: 2018-01-01, End date: 2022-12-31

New Directions in Derived Algebraic Geometry: In this proposal we propose to give a new impulsion on derived algebraic geometry by exploring new domains of applicability as well as developing new ideas and fundamental results. For this, we propose to focus on the, still very much unexplored, interactions of derived algebraic geometry with an extremely rich domain: singularity theory (to be understood in a broad sense, possibly in positive and mixed characteristics, but also singularities of meromorphic flat connections and of constructible sheaves). We plan to use the fruitful interactions between these two subjects in a two-fold manner: on the one hand derived techniques will be used in order to prove long standing open problems, and on the other hand we propose new developments in derived algebraic itself and thus open new research directions.The proposal has three major parts, interacting with each other in a coherent manner. In a first part we explore some direct applications of derived techniques to the study of singularities of degenerating families of proper schemes with the objective to prove a long standing major conjecture in the subject: the Bloch’s conductor formula. This is achieved by the introduction of a new trend of ideas in non-commutative geometry and more precisely by the introduction of a trace formula in the non-commutative setting. The second part is devoted to the exploration of trace and index formula for sheaves in two different, but very similar, setting: l-adic constructible sheaves and quasi-coherent sheaves with flat connections along a given algebraic foliations. In a third part we propose to make progress towards an unexplored domain: moduli spaces of flat, possibly irregular, connections on higher dimensional varieties and their relations with Poisson and symplectic geometry. The objective here is a far reaching generalization of fundamental results on moduli spaces of flat connections on open curves and their symplectic aspects.

1 255 698 €

Start date: 2017-09-01, End date: 2022-08-31

Nanocharacterization techniques are becoming increasingly important. They help us to determine local atomic arrangements, element compositions as well as electronic structures. High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) is the most powerful and widely accepted technique. However, until recently in-situ HRTEM did not show sufficient resolution to image changes on the atomic scale. In the last five years, my group has pioneered advanced specimen holders towards in-situ HRTEM. We have leading expertise in obtaining the high resolution in a range of controllable environments: temperatures, pressures, and liquids. In addition, combinations with other types of parallel measurements were pioneered, such as in-situ low-noise electrical characterization. Clearly it is indeed possible to operate the HRTEM as a nanolaboratory. It allows to really see what one is measuring. With this proposal I want to realize the equipment and methodology to perform nano-electrical measurements of nanostructures in-situ in a HRTEM. The NanoElectrical Measurements in a Transmission Electron Microscope (NEMinTEM) will be applied to nanostructures of a range of materials. Furthermore the electron beam will be used to make well-controlled modifications of the nanostructure. The effects of these modifications on the electrical properties will be measured simultaneously. Semiconductor nanowires, graphene, metallic bridges and nanoelectrodes, and oxide multilayers will be studied, providing challenging examples with possible high-impact results It is to be expected that once NEMinTEM is mature, it will be applied to many more materials.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2011-04-01, End date: 2017-03-31

"NEOGAL is an intensive, coordinated effort to explore uncharted territory in the early chemical evolution of galaxies through the development of an innovative set of spectral analysis tools. This will be achieved through the accomplishment of four interdisciplinary projects using state-of-the-art techniques: 1. The development of a new approach overcoming the limitations of existing methods, to measure the chemical composition of ionized gas with unknown heavy element abundance ratios in high-redshift galaxies; 2. The combination of this approach with sophisticated models of the ultraviolet emission from young stellar populations, to allow differentiated constraints on the chemical composition of stars and gas; 3. The combination of these models with cosmological simulations of galaxy formation, to identify the spectral signatures of competing scenarios of early chemical evolution in observations of statistical samples of high-redshift galaxies; 4. The development of an integrated web service to allow the astronomical community at large to exploit these models to interpret observations of distant galaxies. The spectral analysis tools developed in the framework of this project will open powerful new opportunities to probe the early star formation and chemical enrichment histories of galaxies. Moreover, by allowing the consistent interpretation of stellar and nebular emission, these tools will provide valuable constraints on parameters such as the escape fraction of ionizing photons and hence the contribution by galaxies to the ionizing background. These models therefore should have a profound impact on the optimal design of future surveys of primeval galaxies that will be carried out with the next generation of large facilities, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope."

2 400 556 €

Start date: 2013-05-01, End date: 2018-04-30

We propose to develop a formal model of information representation and processing in the part of the neocortex that is mostly concerned with visual information. This model will open new horizons in a well-principled way in the fields of artificial and biological vision as well as in computational neuroscience. Specifically the goal is to develop a universally accepted formal framework for describing complex, distributed and hierarchical processes capable of processing seamlessly a continuous flow of images. This framework features notably computational units operating at several spatiotemporal scales on stochastic data arising from natural images. Mean-field theory and stochastic calculus are used to harness the fundamental stochastic nature of the data, functional analysis and bifurcation theory to map the complexity of the behaviours of these assemblies of units. In the absence of such foundations the development of an understanding of visual information processing in man and machines could be greatly hindered. Although the proposal addresses fundamental problems its goal is to serve as the basis for ground-breaking future computational development for managing visual data and as a theoretical framework for a scientific understanding of biological vision.

1 706 839 €

Start date: 2009-01-01, End date: 2013-12-31

Implantable neuroprosthetic devices offer the promise of restoring neurological functions to disabled individuals. Tests demonstrated that an array of microelectrodes implanted in cortex allows to record activity of the brain and to induce a movement on prosthetic limbs or electrical stimulations restore some visual sensations. For these applications the life time and stability of the electrodes are critical features for the reliable operation of any implantable neuronal device. It’s also necessary to have high density implant with small electrodes to cover a large surface of the cortex to have access of neuronal code. A reliable packaging for long term implantable devices are in titanium or glass but not suitable in the case of ECoG (ElectroCorticoGraphy) implant. Indeed, it is necessary to achieve a polymer implant as a core material, to follow the topology of the brain surface. But in long term the polymer swells and moisture penetrates the implant and degrades its performances therefore reducing the lifetime. The goal of NEURODIAM project is to address two major challenges: - increase the lifetime of implant by a specific packaging, - reduce the size of the electrodes to be equivalent to the neurones size (10 µm) without degradation of noise and consequently increase the electrode density for a fine mapping of the cortex. To avoid performance drift of the implant, a new packaging solution completely hermetic will be developed based on the last developments of micro and nano structuration of diamond layer that combines conductive and intrinsic synthetic diamond. Fast ageing tests will be settled to demonstrate the viability of this diamond technology. In-vitro and in-vivo assessment will be performed to demonstrate the efficiency of these implants for recording and stimulation of neuronal tissue. This project will produce high performance diamond based technology that can be later used for various implants dedicated to fundamental studies in neurosciences.

1 499 865 €

Start date: 2018-05-01, End date: 2023-04-30

This project proposes new research directions that originate in the field of Poisson Geometry and which reach out towards other fields of Differential Geometry and Topology. It can also be seen as the development of a new field- Poisson Topology, the birth of which is clearly predicted by the recent results of the PI on stability of symplectic leaves. Aims: 1. solving some of the most fundamental open problems in Poisson Geometry. 2. breaking the current boundaries of Poisson Geometry and bringing it at the forefront of the interplay between other fields in geometry (Foliation Theory, Symplectic Geometry etc). Methods/tools: 1. build on the breakthrough results of the PI (and his collaborators) such as the one on the integrability of Lie algebroids or the geometric approach to Conn-Weinstein theorem. 2. new tools in Poisson Geometry such as Nonlinear Functional Analysis or the use of the fundamental ideas of Cartan that were not yet exploited in Poisson Geometry (G-structures, Exterior Differential Systems, etc ). New directions: I propose several interacting directions/subprojects, each one of independent interest. For example: - study of local invariants in Poisson Geometry (a wide-open problem) based on PI's work and the use of ideas from G-structures. - a new unified approach to stability theories, such as Mather's theory or Nijenhuis-Richardson's (apparently unrelated!). Poisson Geometry plays an unifying role. We expect new fundamental results in Poisson Topology and related fields (including moduli spaces of flat connections). - the study of global aspects of Poisson Geometry. E.g. the existence of codimension one Poisson structures on spheres (the 5-dimensional sphere was settled only last year!). Recall that the similar problem in Foliation Theory served as a driving force for the field (and will be used here). Global aspects will also take us to the world of Symplectic Topology- a high risk/high return journey that has never been taken before

1 100 000 €

Start date: 2011-09-01, End date: 2016-08-31

Dark Matter constitutes about 80% of the total matter of the Universe, yet almost nothing is known of its nature: despite the huge experimental and theoretical efforts of the last decades, its true identity is yet to be determined. The recent years and the next few years, however, see several experimental exploratory techniques approaching for the first time the TeV scale, in a multi-faceted attack to the problem: the Large Hadron Collider at CERN in particle physics, the PAMELA and AMS-02 satellites in charged cosmic ray astronomy and the FERMI telescope in gamma ray astronomy. Since general theoretical arguments lead to believe that Dark Matter is a particle inherently related to the TeV scale, the stakes are high of being finally close to the physics that holds the key of the puzzle. The NewDark project aims at exploring selected new directions in Dark Matter phenomenology, in a multi-disciplinary approach that has its roots in theoretical particle physics and cosmology but constantly looks at astrophysical observations and experimental particle physics results, making the most of the bi-directional interactions. The ultimate goal of the project, as part of the effort at the global scale, is the identification of the nature of the Dark Matter and the exploration of its full phenomenology. The project is organized around five main themes of Dark Matter research: theory model building, collider signatures, direct detection, indirect detection and astrophysical/cosmological implications. For each one of these, some selected groundbreaking objectives are identified. The emphasis is on new, non-traditional directions, building on the experience gained by the community in studying more traditional avenues and applying it to the new scenarios. The project requires funds to build up a small but structured multi-disciplinary research team (hiring 4 young post-docs with diverse expertise) and allow it to work on this frontier of astroparticle physics.

1 462 200 €

Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2018-09-30

The Standard Model of physics is incomplete. Gravity is not understood at the quantum level, dark matter and dark energy are not explained, and (string)-theories searching to cover these shortcomings are only consistent in higher-dimensional spaces, while only four of those dimensions are observed. The mystery of finely tuned strengths of the fundamental forces, providing us with a Universe of complexity, remains unexplained. This calls for new physics that can also be explored at the atomic scale in the low energy domain. That is the paradigm underlying the present proposal: Effects of new physics – either related to hitherto unknown particles or to symmetry-breaking phenomena – will manifest themselves as minute shifts in the quantum level structures of atoms and molecules, in minute drifts over time or dependencies on environmental conditions. I propose to perform precision metrology measurements on the H2 molecule in a search for new physics. Deviations between experimental results and QED-theory will scan unexplored territory beyond the Standard Model. Molecular metrology results of the fundamental ground tone vibration in H2 will be confronted with QED-theory calculations to search for the existence of new forces at the Angström length scale. If extra dimensions beyond the known 3+1 would be compactified at the same length scale of 1 Å, this would lead to strongly enhanced gravitational effects, measurable in a molecule. Our current research on experimental probes for varying constants on a cosmological time scale, is redirected into the investigation of chameleon scenarios: by studying H2 molecules in white dwarf stars by uv-astronomy, and by studying methanol molecules in our own galaxy by radio astronomy, searching for a possible dependence of fundamental constants on strong gravity or on density. If any of these targeted phenomena could be uncovered, it would have great impact on science as a whole, and on our view on the Universe and its origin.

2 500 000 €

Start date: 2015-09-01, End date: 2020-08-31

The aim of this theory proposal is to develop the research field of spintronics in three new directions - i) antiferromagnetic metals, ii) helimagnets, and iii) ultracold quantum gases - unified by the fact that it is a priori clear that new concepts have to be developed in understanding their spintronics phenomena. The central scientific challenge is understanding transport of a nonconserved quantity, i.e., spin, and its nonconserved current, i.e., the spin current. The proposal capitalizes in part on the PI’s experience with both spintronics and cold atoms to cross-fertilize these sub-disciplines of condensed-matter physics. i) The first focus of the proposal, motivated by experimental follow-ups of the PI’s pioneering theory work, is to theoretically study current-driven magnetization dynamics in antiferromagnetic metals. These materials are very promising for applications in ultrahigh-density information storage technology. ii) The second focus is to study the influence of current on the magnetic state of a helimagnet. The dynamics of the magnetization spiral in a helimagnet can be viewed as motion of a series of domain walls. In addition to its intrinsic fundamental interest this study will therefore shed light on the ongoing issues in current-driven domain wall motion, such as intrinsic versus extrinsic pinning of domains, and the role of intrinsic spin-orbit coupling. iii) The third and last focus of the proposal is to study analogues of spintronics phenomena with cold atoms, exploiting the well-understood microscopic description of these systems to quantum engineer model systems for spintronics, as well as their possibilities to go beyond conventional electronic condensed-matter physics. In particular the prospect for spin currents to be carried by bosonic particles opens up new research directions. This study develops new trends in spin-dependent transport phenomena and current-induced order-parameter dynamics.

876 000 €

Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2013-08-31

The heaviest element which has been found in nature is uranium with 92 protons. So far, the elements up to atomic number 118 (oganesson) have been discovered in the laboratory. All transuranium elements are radioactive and their production rates decrease with increasing number of protons. An Island of Stability, where the nuclei have relatively long half-lives, is predicted at the neutron number 182 and, depending on the theoretical model, at the proton number 114, 120 or 126. Current experimental techniques do not allow to go so far to the neutron-rich side close to the Island of Stability. The observation of gravitational waves as well as electromagnetic waves originating from a neutron star merger has been published on October 16, 2017 and is a first proof of the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements in the r-process. It still remains an open question if superheavy nuclei have been formed in our universe. To answer these questions, we need insight into the nuclear properties of the heaviest elements and how these properties evolve when one moves toward to the neutron-rich side on the nuclear chart. In the NEXT project, I will set out to discover new, Neutron-rich, EXotic heavy nuclei using multi-nucleon Transfer reactions. I will measure their masses and, thus, pin down the ground state properties of these nuclei. These studies provide insight into the evolution of nuclear shells in the heavy element region. Furthermore, I will measure the fission half-lives of these isotopes. In order to realize the NEXT project, I will built a novel spectrometer, which is a combination of a solenoid separator and Multi-Reflection Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer. The broad experience in heavy element research and mass measurements that I have acquired over the years, and the unique infrastructure at my home institute that houses the AGOR accelerator, makes it so that I am ideally placed to start and lead the NEXT project.

1 670 323 €

Start date: 2019-09-01, End date: 2024-08-31

During the last decade, spectacular achievments have been completed in Algebraic and Arithmetic Geometry and in Representation Theory by using powerful new tools provided by Motivic Integration and Berkovich spaces. We propose to develop a general framework for geometry over non archimedean valued field that will provide common foundations for Motivic Integration and Berkovich spaces. This will allow to broaden the range of potential applications. A main originality of our approach is the use of advanced tools from modern Model Theory, like definability and stable domination, together with methods from Algebraic Geometry. The relevance of Model Theory to non archimedean geometry may be illustrated as follows: geometry over valued fields ultimately combine geometry over the residue field and geometry over the value group. Model theorically these geometries correspond respectively to stable and o-minimal theories. These are of a very different nature and Model Theory provides unifying concepts allowing to treat them on equal footing. This approach will in particular allow us to solve several fundamental open questions on the tame nature of the topology of Berkovich spaces and should open new perspectives towards outstanding conjectures like the Monodromy conjecture. Our goal is also to use model theoretic tools in order to give new applications of Motivic Integration to Algebraic Geometry and Singularity Theory.

1 541 800 €

Start date: 2010-03-01, End date: 2015-02-28

This proposal has the objective to greatly enhance our understanding of sources, sinks and processes fixing the composition of the atmosphere at different time periods of time, from 3.8 Gyr ago to Present. For achieving this goal, I shall develop the high precision analysis of noble gases, which are key tracers of atmospheric evolution. The core of the proposal is : (i) the development of multi-collector mass spectrometry analysis of noble gas isotopes coupled with standard bracketing, aimed at reaching the per mil or better precision level, which will constitute a world premiere, (ii) the analysis of unique cometary samples, of ancient sediments already partly available at my laboratory, and of present-day air sampled at different geographical and altitudinal scales, (iii) the quantification of sources and sinks of atmospheric volatiles through the study of the fluxes of noble gas isotopes. With this proposal, I develop a new and extremely competitive area of geochemistry, aimed at better understanding the early evolution of our planet habitability, as well as at improving our knowledge of fluxes of volatile elements triggering anthropogenic climate change. This proposal will establish the leadership of Europe in high precision geochemistry of exceptional tracers, the noble gases.

2 281 806 €

Start date: 2011-01-01, End date: 2016-12-31

Over a decade, the field of optomechanics has progressed to the point of enabling first quantum experiments on mesoscopic mechanical devices. This maturity culminates with nanoscale semiconductor systems, which operate at very high mechanical frequency and allow intense interaction between light and mechanical motion. On top of representing a new class of elementary quantum systems, nano-optomechanical devices can sense forces at small scale with high speed and resolution, down to the quantum limit. They could probe physical interactions in complex environments, like liquids, with a unique degree of control, and thus bring new science and applications. NOMLI explores original physics at the interface of nano-optomechanics and liquids, be they classical or quantum. A first objective is to realize nano-optomechanical rheological measurements at very high frequency (GHz) and small scale (μm) in classical liquids, and investigate the solid-like behavior of liquids in previously inaccessible regimes. A second objective is to optically cool a nano-optomechanical resonator immersed in a classical liquid down to the quantum regime, and analyze mechanical decoherence in such complex environment. As third objective, a quantum liquid of light will be artificially created in a set of nonlinear photonic resonators. Its viscous force will be investigated nano-optomechanically, and monitored as the liquid undergoes the superfluid transition. Finally a new type of quantum liquid, fully optomechanical in nature, will be formed in an ensemble of resonators at ultra-low temperature. Viscosity, dynamics and superfluidity of this new phase of light and matter will be investigated, using engineered photon-photon interactions mediated by mechanical motion. NOMLI will build a detailed picture of physical mechanisms at play, at the quantum level and at small scale, when a miniature mechanical force probe evolves in a liquid, where chemical and biological processes usually take place.

2 292 068 €

Start date: 2018-04-01, End date: 2023-03-31

Stronger and more ductile steels are increasingly demanded for advanced applications. Latest investigations show that nanostructured steels formed by non-equilibrium phases increasing strength, such as martensite and bainite, and enhancing strain hardening, such as austenite, fulfil these demands with outstanding performance. In the last few years, I have observed that non-equilibrium phases strongly affect each other’s formation and stability, with effects on the kinetics of the microstructure development. Thus, I theoretically and experimentally proved that carbon enrichment of austenite, essential for its stability at room temperature, occurs at a high rate via diffusion from martensite. Moreover, I showed that martensite triggers bainite formation, which significantly increases bainite kinetics. I believe that these interactions between non-equilibrium phases constitute a revolutionary tool for the development of nanostructured steels in the future. This project addresses a new concept to create novel nanostructured steels in which the microstructure development is controlled by interactions between non-equilibrium phases. This innovative idea opens an unprecedented approach for the design of metallic alloys. Since interactions between phases affect each other’s formation and stability, the project focus on the fundamental study of nucleation and growth of non-equilibrium phases as well as on the analysis of interactions. Investigations will combine the integrated application of advanced experimental techniques with atomic and micro scale analysis of structures by simulations. The project continues with the local analysis of the effect of non-equilibrium phases on the mechanical properties of the steels. The identification and explanations of mechanisms will allow the creation of new nanostructured steels based on non-equilibrium phases’ interactions.

1 482 011 €

Start date: 2012-10-01, End date: 2018-03-31

"Natural products are a constant source of inspiration in chemistry and have played a key role in the development of medicine. Recently, thanks to the progress in genomics and metagenomics, it has appeared that the biosynthetic potential of microorganisms and the complexity of the reactions catalyzed have been largely underestimated. Notably, enzymes using radical-based chemistry have been shown to be present in a very-large amount of biosynthetic pathways and to be widely distributed among all living organisms. The highly reactive radical species they generate give access to chemistries not accessible otherwise and allow them to catalyze unique and diverse reactions. Among them, the so-called ""radical SAM enzymes"" have attracted considerable attention in recent years. While, initially hypothesized to be a family with several hundreds of members, recent genomic analyses have revealed that there are several tens of thousands of radical SAM enzymes catalyzing more than sixty distinct biochemical processes. Very recently, an ever increasing number of radical SAM enzymes has been discovered in the biosynthetic pathways of natural compounds. In several cases, it has been shown that, instead of involving non-ribosomal or polyketide synthases, microorganisms use radical SAM enzymes to extensively modify ribosomally synthesized peptides producing highly complex bioactive molecules. In the present project, we propose to develop a multidisciplinary approach to investigate promising radical SAM enzymes catalyzing peptide modifications and elucidate their unique mechanisms which, in many cases, have no counterparts in biochemistry and synthetic chemistry. Based on the unique and highly conserved radical SAM domain and the mechanistic insights gained, we will develop novel radical SAM enzymes as catalysts for the synthesis of new chemicals with original structures and properties using a synthetic biology approach."

1 984 218 €

Start date: 2014-04-01, End date: 2020-03-31

"Even after more than one century of flight, both civil and military aircraft are still plagued by major vibration problems. A well-known example is the external-store induced flutter of the F-16 fighter aircraft. Such dynamical phenomena, commonly known as aeroelastic instabilities, result from the transfer of energy from the free stream to the structure and can lead to limit cycle oscillations, a phenomenon with no linear counterpart. Since nonlinear dynamical systems theory is not yet mature, the inherently nonlinear nature of these oscillations renders their mitigation a particularly difficult problem. The only practical solution to date is to limit aircraft flight envelope to regions where these instabilities are not expected to occur, as verified by intensive and expensive flight campaigns. This limitation results in a severe decrease in both aircraft efficiency and performance. At the heart of this project is a fundamental change in paradigm: although nonlinearity is usually seen as an enemy, I propose to control - and even suppress - aeroelastic instability through the intentional use of nonlinearity. This approach has the potential to bring about a major change in aircraft design and will be achieved thanks to the development of the nonlinear tuned vibration absorber, a new, rigorous nonlinear counterpart of the linear tuned vibration absorber. This work represents a number of significant challenges, because the novel functionalities brought by the intentional use of nonlinearity can be accompanied by adverse nonlinear dynamical effects. The successful mitigation of these unwanted nonlinear effects will be a major objective of our proposed research; it will require achieving both theoretical and technical advances to make it possible. A specific effort will be made to demonstrate experimentally the theoretical findings of this research with extensive wind tunnel testing and practical implementation of the nonlinear tuned vibration absorber. Finally, nonlinear instabilities such as limit cycle oscillations can be found in a number of non-aircraft applications including in bridges, automotive disc brakes and machine tools. The nonlinear tuned vibration absorber could also find uses in resolving problems in these applications, thus ensuring the generic character of the project."

1 316 440 €

Start date: 2012-09-01, End date: 2017-08-31